Korean Job Discussion Forums

[decolyon]

I've been job searching lately for a position in August. This is the typical offer I get sent to me:

Hourse 8:30 - 6 (sometimes later)
Teaching kindergarten, then elementary or middle.
Salary, 2.1 Maybe with CELTA 2.2
Holidays - 10
Occasional Saturday work

Have they gone off their rocker? Who is going to put up with whining snotty kinderbrats for 7 or 8 hours a day and then have the energy to tame a class full of sweaty 10 year olds, come home exhausted after a 10 hour day for 2.1MKW?

Christ, is it really that bad these days? I knew kindy teachers a few years ago that worked those long hours, but got bloody well paid for it too. I've done kindy myself and would never teach it again, but to offer 2.1 to do it is flatly insulting.

I guess the party's over. China anyone?

[lifeinkorea]

China is a bigger country and has more kindergarten students. In China, recruiters don't get you a job. You have to go meet them. This means you travel like 2 hours or more, try to find them based on oversimplified directions ("We are in the big tall building near the subway station." (YEA??? SO are 100 other big tall buildings!!!). After you manage to find the place, they simply read off your resume and ask for confirmation. Then, if you have any specific requests, you can find out if they will satisfy them. They won't tell you over the phone.

After all this, you will get 1 interview with a school. The school will not be anything that you requested. Try to get them to explain middle and high school students. They will not come straight out and tell you ages. One recruiter told me she had an offer for a middle school. The school calls me up and they actually wanted a kindergarten teacher.

I have finally found one school, but it is with high school students at a middle school. The middle school students moved to another school. Why they couldn't have explained this to me before I don't know. Students aren't too bad though, just wish the Chinese were more upfront about these things.

I am not saying don't come to China, but realize Korean recruiters are the best to work with actually. Believe it or not. It's the truth.

[RMNC]

It's crazy. I can't believe employers expect people to work for 9 hours for 2.0million. I see it all the time. Those are the kinds of jobs that I just immediately turn down. I'll be damned if I work more than 40 hours per week, we don't go to college to become indentured servants.

[Dazed and Confused]

With the US economy in the toilet they can offer this crap. There is some guy living in his parents house watching his bills pile up and the student loan companies are trying to shake him down. 2.1M looks like a good deal considering what he's got. When there are fewer teachers the conditions will improve here.

[RMNC]

Very true. However, the FBI CBC + apostille have really helped to thin the herd.

[oldtrafford]

They were paying this salary five years a go. Chicken stew was 5,000 won at the time, it now costs 12,000. Only a fool would come to Korea for that kind of money or somebody incredibly desperate. Perhaps it's the latter.

[RMNC]

The economy isn't what it was 5 years ago. All in all I'd say we're doing well being employed at all.

[ZIFA]

[silkhighway]

Things will improve when you go back in time 8 years when the Korean ESL market was on the upswing.

[silkhighway]

[West Coast Tatterdemalion]

Yep, they prey on desperation. I'm sure a newbie who doesn't know better would probably think it is a typical job. However, anyone that has experience in Korea and takes that job is an ass. 2.1 for that crapload of hours. Whoa...that's not desperation talking. That's stupidity.

[rainism]

[decolyon]

[ontheway]

[RMNC]